Chapter 81: A Brother’s Transformation and a Rivalry Ignited

Xiao Cuihua picked up the raw skewers from the plate.

He placed them over the charcoal fire, slowly turning them.

The lamb skewers gradually turned golden, losing their raw color.

Fat dripped onto the coals, sparking small flames.

Xiao Cuihua took a bunch of skewers, tapped them a few times on the grill to shake off excess oil, and continued to roast them slowly.

“You know about Dragon Brother turning into a woman, right?” Xiao Cuihua asked, looking at me with a smile.

I nodded.

He chuckled for a moment.

Then, he lowered his head, a wisp of smoke rising from the grill.

He spoke, “Dragon Brother used to be a real man. Not only was she fierce in a fight, but she was also incredibly loyal to her brothers. Just a few days ago, when we were teaming up and chatting online, her voice sounded off. I asked her about it, and she told me that a few months back, for some unknown reason, she suddenly turned into a woman…”

“Must have scared you,” I said, picking up my glass and taking a sip of beer.

“Scared me? It scared the absolute hell out of me! Haha, but when I saw her, that scar on her face was undeniably real… I didn’t believe it at first, thought Dragon Brother was just messing with me, using some girl, but that scar… I’d recognize that scar even in death.”

“Remember? Back then, Dragon Brother had a childhood friend, some guy called Old Rooster. He swore at the local gang leader, and a bunch of guys came with weapons, ready to chop him up…”

I didn’t particularly want to hear this part. I remained silent for a while, taking another drink.

“At the time, Dragon Brother and I were at an internet cafe when we heard about it… I didn’t have a good impression of that Old Rooster. I always felt he was a bit of a traitor and incredibly arrogant, so I advised Dragon Brother not to go… She promised she wouldn’t, but she went anyway, and that’s how she got that scar on her face… She’s kept it ever since.” Xiao Cuihua sighed, handing me a skewer.

I took it, dipped it in cumin and chili powder, took a bite, and continued drinking.

Xiao Cuihua grinned, leaning in close, staring at me for a moment. He said mysteriously, “You have no idea how beautiful Dragon Brother is now. She’s exactly like my dream girl… Hey, know what I’m thinking of doing…?”

My hand, holding the skewer, paused.

After a moment, I dipped the skewer again and put it in my mouth. “How would I know?”

“I’m going to pursue her!” Xiao Cuihua declared, his face serious, as he leaned back against his chair.

Upon hearing this, I froze for a long moment. A sudden, inexplicable sense of powerlessness welled up from the deepest part of my heart.

For a moment, I didn’t know what to say. All I could do was pick up my glass and dejectedly take a drink.

Seeing my silence, Xiao Cuihua stopped talking too. He watched me with a half-smile, taking a sip of his own drink.

Neither of us spoke for a while, the only sound the sizzling of oil dripping onto the charcoal.

“Actually, it’s only natural,” Xiao Cuihua said, dangling a skewer idly. He rested his elbow on the table, speaking in a preachy tone. “Think about it, a brother you’ve known, suddenly and inexplicably turns into a woman one day. Not only does she have big breasts, but she’s also beautiful… What do you do? You make a move!”

I kept my gaze fixed on the grill, not speaking, my hand on the beer glass on the table.

“Think about it, these days, it’s hard to get a girl, isn’t it? What kind of guys do they like? Handsome, tall, rich… If you don’t have any of that, what else do you at least need? Some ridiculous ‘interesting soul’…”

“But this situation is different… Think, you already know each other, so you don’t even need to bother with introductions. She’s beautiful, too. Not making a move would be a terrible waste, an offense against heaven itself!” Xiao Cuihua laughed, taking a drink. “Wouldn’t you agree?”

“If you want to pursue her, then go ahead,” I said, feigning indifference, taking a drink. “Spare me, I came here to drink today, not to listen to your nonsense.”

Xiao Cuihua watched me for a moment with a smile, then raised his glass and drank.

He took a sip, then suddenly said, “You like Dragon Brother.”

I froze, my eyes wide, staring at Xiao Cuihua. An unspeakable wave of shame washed over me, mixed with a sense of defilement towards the very idea of ‘brotherhood’.

Holding the skewer, I said, “Don’t talk such nonsense…”

“You like Dragon Brother.” Xiao Cuihua looked at me seriously. “It’s obvious at a glance, you know?”

I held my glass, stunned for a long moment.

A gentle early summer breeze drifted by, cool and refreshing. It swept over the grill on the table, causing the glowing coals to flare up brightly before gradually subsiding.

“Then we’re rivals in love…” Xiao Cuihua suddenly laughed, raising his glass.

“I’m telling you, this time I’m serious. I’m absolutely going to win over Dragon Brother!”

“Come on, let’s toast!” he said with a laugh.

Speechless for a moment, I suddenly raised my glass in self-abandonment. I clinked it with his and gulped down the beer, draining the glass in one go.

Xiao Cuihua and I drank from morning until afternoon, bottle after bottle. Over a dozen plates of skewers were served, and empty beer bottles formed a long line on the ground. By the end, I was quite dizzy and had forgotten how the meal concluded. I only remembered Xiao Cuihua patting my shoulder as he left, a smile on his face, saying we should get together again next time—and bring Dragon Brother.

The temperature today was low, but it didn’t feel particularly cold. I had drunk too much, and my face was flushed. I stumbled along, barely watching my step. Dragon Brother was probably still at home playing Dungeon Fighter, but I didn’t feel like going home. After drinking, I wanted to wander outside for a bit.

It was nearing evening, the sun in the west about to sink heavily. The ground before me glowed a brilliant orange, almost blinding.

The evening breeze was cold, and it brushed against my face, clearing my head somewhat. I wiped my face, thought for a moment, and decided to use the alcohol’s courage to go to an internet cafe, play a few games, and then head home later that night.

The three-way intersection wasn’t far from the pedestrian street. The internet cafe was quite large; although it was crowded, there were scattered empty seats. Someone was cursing, flicking cigarette butts onto the floor.

Xiao Hua was sweeping the front desk. When she saw me, she paused, then offered a smile, pointing down the aisle. “Xiao Ling is online inside.”

I let out a burp and nodded.

Xiao Hua looked at me with some concern, whispering, “Why are you drinking?”

“An old friend I hadn’t seen in a while, we had a couple of drinks,” I replied.

Xiao Hua nodded, seemingly understanding. She watched me for a moment, then suddenly remembered something and hastily asked, “Oh, right, I heard Little Dragon was hit by a car. How is she? Was she badly hurt?”

I sighed. “She’s at my place now, playing games day and night… She’s not seriously injured, just can’t do strenuous exercise, and it’s best for her to use a wheelchair if she goes out.”

Xiao Hua tilted her head, thought for a moment, then nodded and resumed mopping.

I walked down the aisle. I didn’t even need to search closely to spot a small silver head resting against a chair’s backrest. She was wearing a loose white T-shirt adorned with a jumble of colorful patterns. She sat on the chair, legs crossed, her canvas shoes haphazardly kicked off beneath it.

There was an empty seat beside her. I pulled out the chair and sat down next to her.

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